


In The Eye of The Beholder

by haruka



Category: Fushigi Yuugi
Genre: Fushigi Yuugi - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-05-18
Updated: 2005-05-18
Packaged: 2017-10-03 17:39:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haruka/pseuds/haruka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korin's agenda in the palace.</p><p>This was the result of a fifteen-minute word challenge.  The challenge word is stated at the end of the ficlet.  Not necessarily canon.</p><p>*Note*  References are made to events in the Nuriko novel, Yukiyasha Den by Nishizaki Megumi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Eye of The Beholder

In the Eye of the Beholder (Fushigi Yuugi)

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

\--

"There she is, that horrible girl!"

"She's too beautiful, Hotohori-sama will choose her for sure!"

"Don't say that, I won't believe it!"

"Oh, I hate her!"

Korin sighed and shook her head, continuing on her way through the palace corridors. She knew that not all of the harem girls were vapid and spiteful, but too many of them were like those whispering harpies she'd just passed. Was it her fault she was more beautiful than the others? Or had more grace and poise? Of course not. It came as naturally to her as breathing.

"Korin-sama!" Her handmaiden came running after her. "It's time for your bath, come along!"

"Later, I wish to be alone right now."

"But you're overdue! What if the emperor decides to visit –"

"I will bathe on my own, later," Korin stated more emphatically. Her steady gaze was enough to quiet the handmaiden, who hurried off predicting dire consequences should the emperor find her dirty.

As if the emperor would visit the harem. It had been a year already.

Korin disappeared into her quarters and leaned back against the door. It wasn't as if she didn't like being clean – she took private baths on the sly when she could. It was the practice of having one's handmaiden tend to the bathing that was the problem.

Korin put a hand to her chest briefly, then walked over to the vanity and sat down. She reached up and unbound her thick purple hair, allowing it to flow into a curtain of rich colour that nearly touched the floor. Picking up a heavy ornate brush, she slowly pulled it through the tresses, while mulling over her reasons for being there.

It hadn't been for herself initially. It wasn't a longing for wealth or a desire to get away from her family's textile shop. It wasn't even the idea of marrying the emperor – that came later. It was to live out two lives that never got this far. She had failed them both, and hadn't been able to save them. But this way, by adopting one's identity and the other's dream, she could live for them both.

Or rather, _he_ could.

Korin slipped the gown off to the waist and gazed into the mirror at the obviously male chest. His given name was Ryuuen, but his true name was Nuriko, as evinced by the glowing red 'willow' character on his chest. The mark of a Suzaku Seishi.

The emperor, Hotohori, was a Seishi, too. Nuriko had come to the palace for the sake of his biological sister, Korin, and his sister of the heart, Byakuren, but after seeing Hotohori only once, a year earlier, everything had changed. He was in love with the beautiful young monarch, his fellow Suzaku warrior. It was right that they be together.

Gender issues were unimportant where there was love. He had to believe that Hotohori would agree once he spent some time with him. A man with a woman's heart could become his empress, no one need ever know, the secret could be kept.

Pushing aside the niggling detail of providing an heir, Nuriko hastily donned his dress and female persona once more. Someone was coming.

"Korin-sama!" Her handmaiden knocked on the door urgently. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but the emperor wants the harem assembled! Come quickly!"

Adding a fresh touch of colour to her lips, Korin smiled impishly at her reflection. At long last it was showtime, and she was going to knock him dead.

\--

(Word challenge – Natural)

(2005)

Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Watase Yuu

This fic is not to be re-posted.


End file.
